Nintendo's E3 2010 Press Conference: Prediction Accuracy

The day has come and gone, and Nintendo has, in my eyes, completely stolen the show. The 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword both look amazing, but the importance of that pales in comparison to the following: My prediction accuracy! Did I just say that a small post on my virtually-unknown blog is superior to Nintendo's entire press conference? Yes. Did I mean it? Not at all. Moving along!

My first prediction was the debut of Pikmin 3. You know, the game Miyamoto's been talking about for years, giving us subtle progress reports all the while? The one so many are eagerly anticipating and frothing at the mouth for? Yeah, didn't show up. Miyamoto did mention it in passing (Again) during his roundtable discussion, but that's it. I'm off to a bad start here. Prediction: WRONG

Not a great start. Next up I predicted a new Animal Crossing game to accompany the 3DS hardware revelation. Did it happen? Yes... but not until after the conference. So this is an incorrect prediction then, right? Well, no, I wouldn't say so. The Nintendo E3 Network is basically like an extended press conference, giving attention to the games unable to fit into the actual presentation's tight schedule. By that logic, I was right. Lovin' loopholes! Prediction: CORRECT(-ish)

Next up is the rumour that Retro would be announcing a new Donkey Kong game. Lo and behold, the rumours came true, and Donkey Kong Country Returns is headed our way, and it'll be here by the end of 2010. Prediction: CORRECT

How about that fifth generation of Pokémon? Two Pokémon games are playable on the show floor today, but, alas, these games are neither Black nor White. Sadly, those of you dying for more information on the next round of Pokémon will just have to wait a little longer. Happily for me, however, my prediction proved true! Prediction: CORRECT

One of Nintendo's strangest announcements at last year's E3 was the Vitality Sensor. Even stranger is the fact that we'd gone a year without any significant news on it. Certainly Nintendo would see fit to bring it out during their press conference, with a slimmer design and exclusive software, right? Well, no. The Vitality Sensor wasn't mentioned even once. And with this, my streak of correct predictions comes to a screeching halt. Prediction: WRONG

And now we come to the one prediction I have made every single year since I started this blog; StarFox making a grand return on the Wii. Due to a lack of evidence, though, this year I had to label this as unlikely. So, of course, now that I don't expect it, a new StarFox is announced. But wait, what's this? It's for 3DS? So my prediction of there not being a new StarFox Wii game was correct? Yet, while still being correct about it not showing up, I still get a StarFox game? This just worked out way too perfectly. Prediction: CORRECT

Next I predicted Nintendo would discuss sales, demographics, all that sort of stuff, and, surprise, they did. Yup. Moving on. Prediction: CORRECT

Last but not least, I made a remarkably-vague prediction that something completely unexpected would happen. I'd say a brand-new Kid Icarus launching alongside the Nintendo 3DS is pretty unexpected. Man, the one time I don't predict a new Kid Icarus... Then again, I probably would've predicted it for Wii, so perhaps things worked out just fine! Prediction: CORRECT! (Duh)

Oh, all the predictions I should have made... I can't believe I forgot to mention Kirby Wii. I guess I can't complain too much, though, as my score today turning out quite positive, with only two of my eight predictions turning out false. Can't ask for much better than that, can I?

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Nintendo's E3 2010 Press Conference: Predictions

Just gonna say I wanted to write up a similar article for the Microsoft press conference (No such intentions for the Sony conference), but I was unexpectedly busy on Sunday watching four guys blow things up in a spectacularly over-the-top manner. As a side note, A-Team was some pretty good action. Now then, moving along...


The time has come once more: Nintendo's E3 2010 press conference is nearly upon us. But we can't go having a press conference without a healthy serving of my predictions, can we? And so I come out of my nearly month-long Springtime hibernation to bring you this, my list of predictions for the rapidly-approaching conference.

First, though, let's get two little things out of the way: The 3DS and The Legend of Zelda. These two things are practically confirmed to be showing up tomorrow, so really, there's no need to "predict" their presence. Alright? Alright. Let's get started.

To get things going, I'll to start with something we've known about for so long yet have seen absolutely nothing of: Pikmin 3. This has been hiding behind the scenes for ages now, and I'd say it's about time for this flower to bloom. Pikmin 3, Nintendo; I know you've got it. Now show it!

Next up I'll play off a little rumour I heard recently. According to Destructoid, Nintendo's planning on launching a new Animal Crossing game with the 3DS. Will it be a revolutionary step for the franchise? Will it bring back all those who were turned away by City Folk's over-familiarity? Heck if I know. Considering the prosperity of the franchise, though, I get the feeling that this little rumour will be going to E3, not crying "wee wee wee" all the way home.

Another rumour that's been floating about is Retro Studios working on a new Donkey Kong game. To give this rumour a little more validity, an IGN staff member Tweeted teasingly in a sly manner, using terms such as "go ape" and "barrel me over". A suggestion of insider knowledge, or just some of that classic trolling we internet users have become so used to? It's hard to tell right now, but man, I could really go for a rumble in the jungle right about now. I'm gonna let my hopes take the wheel here and put this in the "probable" column.

Talk around in some groups and all you'll hear about is Pokémon Black and White. Pokémaniacs are practically (And in some cases, literally) frothing at the mouth for more information on the fifth generation of Pocket Monsters, and they've got themselves convinced that these games will be showing up at the conference tomorrow. Myself being a somewhat reformed Pokémaniac, however, I'm looking at the situation from a more fact-based angle. In the past, information on new Pokémon games has emerged almost exclusively at Japanese venues. While Nintendo's been doing a lot of things differently as of late, I don't see this particular trend changing. If I hear the Pokémon theme coming from my headphones tomorrow afternoon I'll be very surprised.

Turning attention to the Wii, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a major redesign of the Vitality Sensor showing itself tomorrow. Today Ubisoft showed off a very similar device, and it was far smaller than the clunky device shown hanging off a Wii remote just over a year ago. I've always thought that the Vitality Sensor was over sized, and now I see it's more than possible to shrink it down to a more manageable level. I'm willing to bet Nintendo see that, too.

Now to revisit a prediction I have made every single year since E3 2007: Star Fox, and its long-overdue return. Do I even have to say it anymore? The Wii remote is perfect for the job, and it's an absolute mystery why this game hasn't surfaced yet. To be perfectly honest, I don't see this prediction as likely or unlikely. I just see it as far, far overdue. I can't just leave this here without a likelihood rating on it, though... Well, as much as it pains me to say it, I'm going to file this in the "unlikely" column. As much as I hope it'll come true, there's just been no evidence whatsoever of its existence. Sorry, Fox, but it's looking like you'll be warming the bench for another year.

There will probably also be talk of sales, reaching new demographics, slideshows of actors pretending to be families and overdoing the motion controls, graphs, charts... You know, the typical Nintendo conference stuff. Okay, I get it, you're successful. Can we see games now?

And finally, there's always that announcement that comes out of nowhere and defies all predictors such as myself. Can I predict such a vague thing, or is that cheating? Bah, I'll do it anyways. Feel free to consider it a null point on my score sheet when it happens.

That's all, folks! The predictions are made, and the wait is on. Not that I expect anyone to read this before E3... in which case I could totally just edit out all the false stuff and write in a bunch of facts as "predictions"... Nah, I wouldn't. Or would I? Nah. Good night, and have fun watching the conference!

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Nintendo's E3 2009 press conference: Recap, commentary and observations

Don't forget to check the article below this for a rundown of how my predictions fared!


After last year's E3, people had lost much of their faith in Nintendo. The script was pretty crummy, the announcements were sparse, and what was announced (Animal Crossing: City Folk) wound up being somewhat underwhelming when it landed in stores that November. Surely this E3 would have to be better than last year's event... Right?

The first game shown (After a brief bit of sales talk) is one we saw coming thanks to that loose-lipped Japanese newspaper; New Super Mario Bros. Wii is the name of this new side-scrolling adventure for the Wii. Stylistically very similar to the New Super Mario Bros. game on the DS, players can play as Mario, Luigi, or different-coloured Toads. Nothing was said on the subject of other playable characters, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more join in on the fun.


The multiplayer aspect of the game is seamlessly integrated with the single player, with people free to come and go as they please. This new mode is both competitive and cooperative, much like what you'd see in the Four Swords games in terms of player interaction. Whenever someone dies, a bubble appears on screen containing them. If other, living players are inclined to do so, they can pop the bubble and free their allies/foes and continue along. Although they didn't say, I'd assume that if all four die without freeing a bubble-encased player, the level ends. The same probably occurs when all players exhaust their supply of free lives. An additional way players can work together is picking eachother up on their shoulders and carrying them around. This comes into play with the following power-up...


One new ability was shown off in the demonstration, and that was the Propeller Suit. From what I could see, players can save themselves when falling by activating the propeller and whisking themselves to safety. It can also be used mid-jump to add a bit more height to a leap. If a player without a Propeller Suit grabs another play who has one, they can be flown around as a passenger. A neat little touch, gently forcing players to work together if need be.


In the official trailer, another new power-up is shown off: The Penguin Suit (Not an official name, just what I've dubbed it). Acting sort of like an Antarctic Hammer Bros. Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3, the Penguin Suit gives the wearer the ability to toss about snowballs at his or her enemies. So far, this and the Propeller Suit are the only known power-ups, but seeing more wouldn't surprise me in the least.


Not much else is known about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but if the DS game was any indication, it's sure to be a classic side-scroller with enough content to keep people busy for a good while. New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be available worldwide this holiday season.


Directly following that was the announcement of the other game leaked by Nikkei: Wii Fit Plus. Despite its name, it doesn't seem to use the Wii MotionPlus at all. In fact, it still uses just the Balance Board and Wii remote, with no new peripheral or anything attached to it. Several new modes are the draw this time around, with different work outs designed to focus on different parts of the body.


Also new are 15 minigames, from a platformer-like distraction to what Cammie Dunaway referred to as "Brain Age for your behind". Yup. It's Butt Age (See below).


Wii Fit Plus doesn't look to bring a whole lot to the table in terms of new content, instead serving as more of a, well, a Wii Fit Plus. Anyone who has yet to get into the craze (Such as myself) should probably just wait for this to hit shelves this fall, sold in two packages: With a Balance Board (For newcomers like myself), or without (For Wii Fit owners looking for a little more).


After this, Reggie appeared on stage to show off the Wii MotionPlus (I know, I was expecting more sales talk, too). After talking a bit about how revolutionary and accurate the device is, he handed the show over to Bill Trinen, who proceeded to demonstrate for us a few parts of Wii Sports: Resort.


To begin, Bill Trinen started off at the first part of the game players will experience: Skydiving to the resort island. By twisting and turning the Wii remote (With MotionPlus) in the air, players can make their Mii do all sorts of moves, and even grab a hold of other sky divers and create formations in the air. This little beginning level is a perfect way to introduce the player to the abilities of the Wii MotionPlus, but like this is merely the start of the game, this is also merely the start of the new peripheral's abilities.


In the archery game, the Wii remote is held pointing up, with its back facing away from the player. The Nunchuk takes the role of the player's other hand (Which one depends on the player's hand dominance). Aiming is achieved by moving the Wii remote around, and this is where it gets cool. Even though the IR sensor is pointed straight at the ceiling, the Wii MotionPlus can still determine where on the screen the back of the remote is "pointed" at. Bill moved it around in space in front of him, and the way it was matched so perfectly on screen almost made me forget there's no IR camera on the bottom of the controller.


After this, Bill called Reggie back on stage to demonstrate the basketball free-throw game. By holding their hands above their head as if holding a basketball, with the Wii remote in the "throwing" hand, the two of them managed to have a nice, fun and challenging round of free-throws, with Reggie barely edging out Bill by sinking a "money ball" worth extra points. I'm no fan of basketball (And as such probably just used horrible terminology), but I must admit I'm excited for this part of the game. It looks challenging, yet fulfilling, and truly shows off the scope of the MotionPlus' abilities.


Wii Sports: Resort looks like an excellent sequel to the Wii game that started it all, and I'm quite looking forward to getting my hands on it on July 26th.

After this, a string of trailers for already-known games began to play. Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers (With some pretty crummy voice actors, sadly), Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days and Mario & Luigi 3: Bowser's Inside Story (Excellent title) all went by, followed up by a trailer for something no feasible reach of the imagination could have possibly foretold...


Oh, people dreamed about it and people hoped for it, but I don't think anyone ever truly believed it would ever happen. Now, I never played the first two games personally, so I don't know a whole lot about the significance of any people shown in the trailer, but I can say that it featured some truly beautiful graphics. Screenshots really don't do it justice, so be sure to check out the trailer on Youtube.


A string of less-significant announcements followed, with stuff like Style Savvy (Localization of Girl's Mode), James Patterson Women's Murder Club: Games of Passion (Sort of an interactive novel based on the book) and C.O.P. The Recruit (An actually somewhat cool, GTA-style cop game from Ubisoft). Following this was a bit of shilling in the DSi's direction, and the announcement of Flipnote Studio (The localized name for Moving Memo Pad). Following this was the announcement of an all new game: Mario VS Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!


The third title in the Mario VS Donkey Kong series, Minis March Again! looks to consist entirely of user-created content shared over the Nintendo WiFi Connection. Going along with this is a level editor said to be even more robust than that of the previous game, giving the player an insane amount of space to work in and many additional tools and traps.


Now, what's the coolest part of this? Mario VS Donkey: Minis March Again! is exclusively for DSiWare. That's right; Nintendo is finally throwing their weight behind the fledgling DSiShop, and Mario VS Donkey: Minis March Again! will be debuting their on June 8th. Once again, you're not misreading this; This game is coming out next week! Sometimes digital distribution can be an amazing thing, huh? No price point has yet to be announced, but I'm expecting it to fall in the "800+" price range, possibly becoming the first game to actually be of a "+" price.

Following this are three more less-notable presentations; WarioWare: Made in Ore is to be called Wario Ware: DIY in North America, The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is once again shown off (No new information), and they announce that we'll soon be able to upload our DSi pictures directly to Facebook.

After the above, Iwata appears on stage and begins to say how many people on Earth are playing games these days and how Nintendo has enlightened millions to the wonders of gaming. Basically sales talk in disguise. Iwata then turns to something new...


...another peripheral? But... I thought we were through with such things! Oh well, maybe it'll be something coo-What? It's a glorified heartrate monitor?


...I'm honestly speechless here. Apparently, so was Iwata, as he basically told us that it monitors our blood pressure as we play to gauge how we're reacting to it... Or something. He was being incredibly vague. My guess is this is still waaaaaay in the experimental stages, making it a mystery as to why they chose to show it off today.

At this point I'm pretty blown away by all the announcements (Excluding the previous one). Although I wasn't thinking it at the time, I'd probably have been alright with it if they decided that was enough for today and ended the conference. But they still had at least one more ace up their sleeve, and that was...


Super Mario Galaxy 2, a sequel to what is probably the Wii's greatest game yet. This was just crazy to me. After hearing of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I was sure that the major Mario-related news had wrapped up for the day. I was gladly shown otherwise. Although no story details explaining why have surfaced yet, Mario is once again taking off into space, but this time he's got a friend in the cold depths of nothingness: Yoshi, mashing together dinosaurs and intergalactic adventure in a way I never imagined could qualify as not cheesy. Dinosaurs in space: Only Nintendo could make that work.


Yoshi seems far-improved from his last 3D platforming appearance in Super Mario Sunshine, though, gaining a Super Mario World-style ability to eat fruit and take on new powers and colour schemes. When turned orange, Yoshi gains Sonic-like super-speed, and turning blue causes him to blow up like a balloon then deflate, floating into the air and taking Mario to new heights.


Many other enhancements seem to have been made to the formula from Mario's first space adventure, with actual planet-sized planets and a new drill item showing up in the trailer. Also appearing in the trailer was a Super Mario Bros. 3-style "giant" galaxy, featuring humongous Goombas and blimp-sized blocks. Now who says you can't build on perfection?


Nintendo is expanding upon a winning formula here, and I have every reason to believe that this will be an amazing addition to the Super Mario Galaxy universe (No pun intended). Super Mario Galaxy 2 is currently slated for a vague "2010" release.

Bringing us back to Earth after the previous announcement (Okay, pun intended that time), Nintendo turns to showcasing a few mature third-party Wii efforts; The Conduit, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles and Dead Space: Extraction all get their time on the big screen. I'm glad to see Nintendo pushing third-party Wii software. It's a lesson they've done well to learn after the N64 and Gamecube days!

After this, I thought, the show's bound to be over. A goodbye from Reggie, a final wave, and the lights go off. That's what I thought. That's not what happened. Instead, Nintendo announces that their partnership with Team Ninja has begun to pay off, and that the two have been working together on an established Nintendo franchise. First thought: Zelda. The trailer starts, and I see waves. Okay, so it's Wind Waker... Wait, that was just the Team Ninja signature. Whoops. So now we're in deep space, floating through a debris field. Oh my god, it's got to be Star Fox! Wait, who's this? Some woman in a space station? That's not Star Fox at all... Some commander-like guy asks her a question and OH MY GOD IT'S A NEW METROID.


Samus is back, but this isn't a first-person shooter. It's more of an action platformer, similar to Ninja Gaiden (A Team Ninja product). But in space, and with an arm cannon, so by default it's infinitely superior (Nerd alert). Freed from the restraints of first-person shooters, Samus now takes matters into her own hands... Literally. I mean, look below.


She has a freaking space lizard in a headlock. That's just plain badass. Samus is now able to punch the crap out of things, as well as shoot them. If that alone doesn't make this game awesome enough for you, watch this trailer and try not to smile. Go ahead, I'll wait...

...finished? Did you smile? Damn straight you smiled. And did you hear that at the end? She spoke. Samus talks now. She's probably the only silent protagonist I ever wanted to see go vocal (Except maybe Gordon Freeman, he's gotta have tonnes to say), and here it is. I really have to get my hands on that Metroid Prime Trilogy when it comes out and get back into the universe of Metroid. I've got to be ready for when it lands next year!


After this, Reggie takes the stage once more. What, he's announcing more? Stop, you're going to kill me! Well, I'm alive, so I guess that tells you no more announcements were made. And now, after all these surprises and revelations, the conference finally comes to a close. Looking back on it as a whole, I'd have to say this was definitely in the same league as the 2007 presentation, and nearly up there with the 2006 showing. If you honestly came away from this conference disappointed, I'm sorry, but I don't think you'll ever be satisfied. Nintendo delivered today, and they've shown that us gamers that have been with them for all these years still fit in with their plan. Thank you, Nintendo.

To summarize: Yes, it is better than last year's event. And don't call me Shirley.

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Nintendo's E3 2009 press conference: Prediction accuracy

There's much to say after today's conference, but let's start with seeing how well my predictions fared. A green "YES" for whatever happened, and a red "NO" for whatever didn't. First off, my "highly likely" predictions:

Mario Wii 2 and Wii Fit Plus: Mario Wii 2 turned out to actually be two games: New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Wii Fit Plus also made the scene, sporting that exact name, no less. "YES"

Sales talk, sales talk, sales talk...: Sales talk was actually spread out through the whole conference, and not just spewed out in a big chunk at the beginning like last year. A nice change, in my eyes. "YES"

Pikmin 3: Sadly, the long-awaited Pikmin 3 never did show up. Here's hoping that it appears in some form at some time in the remainder of E3... "NO"

Wii MotionPlus showcase: Wii Sports: Resort was surprisingly the only game they showed off with the MotionPlus, but I was no less impressed with its abilities because of it. "YES"

A new Zelda Wii: Like my Pikmin 3 prediction, this, too, didn't turn out right. I think after all we got, though, I'll forgive them for this one. "NO"

Some third party game will be shown off: Correct, except it was not just one game, but many! The Conduit, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Dead Space: Extraction, C.O.P. The Recruit*, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Final Fantasy: Crystal Bearers, and a game based on a book I've never heard of and a fashion-based game. Besides the last two, it all sounds good to me! "YES"

Not bad. Four out of six! Now then, moving on to the "50/50 chance" part of the list:

A new "expanded audience" title: Surprisingly, no. Well, not from Nintendo, at least. That fashion game and the one based on the book are pretty "expanded audience". Good to see Nintendo pushing third-party efforts, though, despite what I may think of them personally. "NO"

A new Star Fox or F-Zero: That's a big no on both sides, sadly. One of these days, though, it just has to happen... One of these days... "NO"

Yipes, a big no to both of them... Quite sad about the last one not coming true. Finally, then we move onto the "not gonna happen" category.

The revealing of the Wii 2: This basically should have gone without saying. It's far too soon as of now to pull out the next one. "NO"

A new peripheral: Like I said, they're not gonna bring out a new peri-...what. What is that thing? The Wii Vitality Sensor? It's like those heart rate monitors they slip on your finger at a hospital! Since when was medical equipment part of gaming? Sorry, Nintendo, I'm not into reliving my hospital visits while I game. "YES" (Sadly)

That last one really threw me off. I was looking at it and almost expecting Iwata to go "Just kidding, here's a new Zelda". I was so sure there'd never be another peripheral, but there it was...

I suppose my predictions didn't turn out too badly today. Would've loved to see something about a new Zelda, or even just see Miyamoto take the stage for a minute. Oh well, there's always the rest of E3. And if it doesn't happen then, there's always the Fall conference!

More E3-related articles coming up soon.

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*A new GTA-style game from Ubisoft taking place on the other side of the law. Finally!

Nintendo's E3 2009 press conference: Predictions

The time has finally arrived; Time for some predictions! I honestly found it hard to wait so long.


It's that time once again... Time for rampant speculation and oodles of predictions! Yes sir, it's round three of my annual list of Nintendo E3 predictions, and here are this year's group, starting with the most-likely. Read on, and hope that some of the better ones wind up becoming reality!

Mario Wii 2 and Wii Fit Plus: On the weekend, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei let slip word of a new Mario game for Wii, and an enhanced version of Wii Fit they called "Wii Fit Plus", both due to hit this year. These games are going to come out, and they're going to come out soon. Thus, they'll also have to be announced soon. Waiting until Nintendo's Fall conference will be too late, so I'm betting they'll pull back the curtains on both of these tomorrow.

Sales talk, sales talk, sales talk...: Nintendo's currently this generation's #1 company, so of course they're going to brag about this after being last place the previous two generations. This may be the third E3 since overtaking the competition, but I wouldn't put it past them to shove Reggie on stage with a teleprompter full of numbers.

Pikmin 3: After Shigeru Miyamoto said last year that Pikmin 3 is in production, I'm all but certain we'll be seeing it in some form tomorrow. Whether it be a teaser trailer or even just a logo once more confirming its existance, Pikmin 3 will almost certainly be showing up tomorrow, or at least behind doors during the rest of E3 (Hey, it worked for Brawl!).

Wii MotionPlus showcase: Red Steel 2 and Wii Sports: Resort are going to be huge titles, and undoubtedly will be the two biggest MotionPlus-enabled games. It would be foolish for Nintendo not to show them off tomorrow, especially considering the imminence of the peripheral's release. Also, don't be surprised to see a few other games join in on the presentation. I'm sure EA will have something to contribute in their tennis game, and perhaps even more on top of that!

A new Zelda Wii: When Nintendo decided to port Twilight Princess to Wii, they were already planning the next Zelda. This was in 2006. Now we're in 2009, and the memories of Link's last console adventure are beginning to fade, and fans are clamoring for more. Miyamoto even said last year that the Zelda team was hard at work on the next Wii title. If we don't see it tomorrow, we'll almost definitely be seeing it at the Fall conference.

Some third party game will be shown off: Nintendo's been doing their best to help push third-party titles lately, so seeing them show off a game from one of the many developers working on the Wii is pretty much a sure-thing. What the game will be is a mystery, but Red Steel 2, The Conduit and Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage are all likely candidates. Maybe we'll even get to see Bethesda's secret Wii project? Only time will tell...

Next we have two predictions that are equally as likely to come true as they are likely not to. This is basically the "50/50" part of the list. If the announcements in this category happens tomorrow, I won't be any more surprised than I would be if it didn't occur at all.

A new "expanded audience" title: Nintendo just loves their expanded audience; The virtually-untapped market of soccer moms, businessmen, and all other types of people that just don't have gaming as apart of their life. Wii Sports was the first to rope them in, and the "Wii" game label has continued to do so ever since. While I'm not exactly expecting a new installment in the "Wii" series (Besides Sports: Resort, but that's already announced), something may show up. I'd probably consider this more likely, but there's also the above "basically for-sure" announcements; I'm doubting Nintendo will cram so much into their conference. But hey, you never know...

A new Star Fox or F-Zero: Star Fox and F-Zero are pretty much the only two established Nintendo franchises to not have appeared on the Wii so far. It's going to happen sometime for sure. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life. Both of these titles are just begging to take advantage of the MotionPlus, and Nintendo would be crazy to deny them the opportunity.

And now for two announcements that I consider incredibly unlikely. If either of the following wind up being announced, I'm going to be incredibly surprised.

The revealing of the Wii 2: The Wii's selling like crazy in almost every major market, over 50 million are in homes worldwide, and developers are beginning to churn out some truly amazing things for the little white box. I somehow doubt that the Wii 2 will be pulled out of any coat pockets tomorrow. Heck, Nintendo's still yet to release the Wii MotionPlus. They're not about to cannibalize sales of it by announcing a new console with the functionality built-in. It ain't happening tomorrow, folks. As for a new DS... I think I'll let my less-than-two-months-old DSi answer that question for you.

A new peripheral: Every year since the Wii launched, Nintendo has released at least one new peripheral for the console. First it was the Zapper, then the Wii Wheel and Balance Board, and this year it will be the MotionPlus. And no more. There will not be a new Wii peripheral announced tomorrow, or ever. Wii MotionPlus is the end of the plastic-paved road here, and Nintendo themselves has been quoted saying this (I can't find the link myself, but it's out there). If you're thinking we'll be seeing a new chunk of plastic to stick a Wii remote in, think again.

Am I being optimistic with all those "most-likely" predictions? Or am I actually expecting too little of tomorrow? The only ones who can answer these questions are Nintendo themselves, and that answer is... Wait a little longer.

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PS: Just to clarify, I'm not expecting ALL of the first few to predictions to come true. Just stating the likelihood. I've learned better than to keep my hopes too high...

A new Zelda at this E3? Don't count on it.

The folks at Nintendo love taking their sweet time with their heavy-hitters, and The Legend of Zelda is no exception. In the 23 years since The Legend of Zelda first graced the Nintendo Entertainment System, only six other games in the series have hit home consoles. Six games in 23 years. That works out to roughly one game every 3.83 years, and it's been less than 2.5 years since Twilight Princess was released.

Of course, an average is made of numbers both higher and lower than it, and, going by that alone, it's entirely possible that we'll see the new Zelda at E3. Also, going purely by that, it's equally likely that we won't. An average is good for getting a rough idea of when the next game will be out, and works well when compounded with other factors, but it's nowhere near dependable on its own.

That being said, I bring up this matter: A new Zelda on the Wii would most likely require a brand new game engine. Twilight Princess was a Gamecube game ported to the Wii that still ran on Gamecube hardware. This new Zelda will be a true Wii game made exclusively for the Wii and will run on Wii hardware. It will utilize far more resources than Twilight Princess, and Nintendo is sure to push the console to its limits in every way, just as they always do with their big-name games, and will more than likely be running on a brand-new engine. Granted, the Wii's architecture is quite similar to that of the Gamecube, but that doesn't mean that this new engine can just be made up overnight.

But hey, I'm no game developer. For all I know, the entire previous paragraph could be wrong, wrong, wrong. So what else is there that points to a new Zelda not being at E3? Well, how about Miyamoto himself? In April 2008, the man himself was quoted saying "The Zelda team is forming again to work on new games!". Keyword: Forming. As in, at that point, they'd not begun any real work on the game. They were probably still brainstorming back then. A year later, they may have made some progress, but enough to show off even a teaser? I don't think so. With them just beginning in 2008, I'm guessing the game won't be out until 2011 at the soonest. I somehow doubt they'd show their hand a full two years before playing them. Twilight Princess was a unique situation, in that it was delayed to coincide with the Wii's release. This next Zelda will most likely not be delayed by such an event.

What's that, you want even more reason why a Zelda probably won't surface at E3? Well, in the December issue of Official Nintendo Magazine (No source available; Information comes from Wikipedia), it was said that "the teams [are] still in the planning stages", and that "we wouldn't expect to see or hear anything more until the E3 event next summer at the earliest", and "even that may be optimistic". Words such as these are hardly encouraging. Of course, the magazine also says "we WILL know something in 2009 [about the title]", but there's a whole five months between E3 and the end of the year. Chances are, we'll only see a preview of it at some other convention in the fall.

Finally, as of late, Nintendo has begun only announcing games closer to their planned release date. We learned of Punch-Out in October, and it's out next month. Heck, Excitebots was only officially announced in February, and it came out last week! Chances are we won't be waiting two and a half years from announce to release like we did with Twilight Princess.

So then, here are the reasons I've pointed out:

• *The average amount of time between console Zelda games' release dates is 3.83 years, and we're currently not even at 2.5 years since Twilight Princess.
• *An entirely new game engine will probably be utilized in this new game, and that can't exactly be whipped up overnight.
• *Miyamoto himself said the development team was only even beginning work on the game just over a year ago.
• *Official Nintendo Magazine has said that the game was still in the planning stages a mere six months ago.
• *Nintendo has taken on a new trend of only announcing a game when its release date is determined and close at hand.

While some of these factors may not stand up well on their own, when lined up together, I feel they create a compelling argument against a Zelda game being revealed at E3. What's your take on the situation? Will E3 bring solid information on a new Zelda, or will we be waiting longer before we get a glimpse of Link in the first true Zelda game on the Wii? Also, what do you think of my points? Are they solid and convincing, or flimsy and weak? Please, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comment section, or this forum thread.

Hands-off impressions of the games shown today

Two posts in one day? This is insanity! So, um, yeah. Taking tomorrow off unless something wicked happens.



I watched the conference. I downloaded all the relevant press packages. I checked out every last screenshot and video so far released. I've done everything but play the games Nintendo discussed today. After looking everything over, I've come up with some hands-off impression of every major title and accessory shown today.

First, lets start with the one everybody saw coming: Animal Crossing: City Folk. From what we've seen, it seems to be the same basic idea as the other installments, with a couple little twists. First, there's the city that gives the game its new title. While hardly a "city" by size standards (About one eighth the size of a town in Wild World, if even that much), it still manages to cram in a whole lot of different things to do. Based on what we know so far, the plaza plays host to an auction house (Presumably online), Gracie the fashionista's shop, Harriet's hair salon, a theatre, and a few more things yet to be fully revealed. Overall, the city looks like a nice new addition, but nothing truly game-changing.

Yay!

As for the rest of City Folk, it seems to be fairly the same. You still buy a house, Nook still haunts you for your mortgage payments, fishing is still a major pastime, and filling up the museum remains a goal attainable by only the most determined players. Nothing's really changed. Some may be disappointed by this, but I'm pretty happy. I didn't want Animal Crossing Wii to be a huge departure from what I'm familiar with, and Nintendo delivered. Really, no new entry in the series has ever added anything insanely new or notably different, and I never expected the Wii version to go against this pattern. And dang, am I ever happy to see the real holidays come back! Halloween and Toy Day, hooray!

If there's one thing that disappoints me, though, it's that online play is still limited to four players at a time. Come on, Nintendo! You took Mario Kart DS' four and turned it into twelve in Mario Kart Wii! Why can't you do the same with Animal Crossing: City Folk? Not necessarily twelve players, but is six really that much of a stretch? I really hope this is changed by launch, but I don't suppose I should really expect it to happen. Besides this little problem, the game looks solid to me.

Unveiled alongside Animal Crossing: City Folk was Wii Speak. Unlike most traditional game console microphones, Wii Speak is not a headset. Instead, it's a box that sits somewhere near your play area. The sound from the entire room is broadcast across the internet, allowing entire families to have conversations among each other.

The brand-new Wii Speak, coming to a living room near you this November.

On the plus side, I see this as a great way for far-separated family members to get in touch with their brethren and play some games at the same time. Sure, it's not exactly private, but do you really expect to be having intimate conversations in your living room? And the way I see it, Wii Speak looks to be far less "scary" for the non-gamers than a full-blown headset. Just imagine if you weren't a gamer. Would you rather put a box on top of your TV, or wear some weird headset? I feel the choice is obvious in this case. Also, with one central microphone, people won't need to buy a new headset for each player in the house in order to play simultaneously. One central microphone, with the sound played through your TV speakers.

I suppose the downside is it doesn't seem to be shipping in a bundle with any known game. I thought that it would be a perfect fit to have two Animal Crossing: City Folk packages, one with the Wii Speak, and one without. Instead, though, we'll have to shell out an additional $30 for this thing. Doesn't that sound like a tad too much for you? I remember getting my DS headset for $12, not $30. A little bit pricey, don't you think? I was thinking $20 at most.

Well, no matter. This should still shut up all those people obsessing over voice chat. You got it now, okay? Not good enough? Too bad for you, I guess. I'm sure some third party will make a headset soon enough. When that day comes, it's all yours.

Although we really didn't hear all that much about Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, I still feel like mentioning it for one key point: Song sharing. Really, this is a great idea. If you have a copy of the original On Tour, and a pal has Decades, you can swap songs among each other and still play together. That's some cool stuff right there. Activision really does seem to be trying, and I applaud them for that.

Next up we have Wii Sports: Resort. From the three sports shown (Frisbee toss, water skiing and sword fighting), Resort seems to be shaping up as a completely new entry in the Sports series. And honestly, that's got me pretty excited.

Wii Sports finally gets a sequel in Wii Sports: Resort

Of course, Wii Sports: Resort just wouldn't be possible without the new Wii MotionPlus. Available in a bundle with Resort next year, MotionPlus adds so much more to the Wiimote's motion sensing abilities. Finally, we can get the true 1-to-1 experience in our own living rooms. If the amazing sensitivity shown in Wii Sports: Resort is any indication of future titles, we're in for one hell of a treat.

Wii Music finally made its return to the limelight today. With practically an entire orchestra at your disposal, there's sure to be at least one instrument right for you. Saxaphone? Piano? Drums? Tamborine? You got it. The variety of instruments is astounding to say the least.

The controls are something that many people seem to have misunderstood, sadly. Everyone reading this please take note: Wii Music is much more than pointless waving around of the controller. Buttons are pressed to the beat to keep the song going, and the motion controls are there to allow the player to give their performance a little pizazz. With the option of saving a recording of your concert, you're going to want it to be exciting!

The long-lost "Wii" game returns at last

I was somewhat confused at one part of the presentation. Six people took the stage, but the Wii can only support four players. Not quite sure what was going on there. They said that two of the musicians were computer-controlled, but then... Why call those extra two people on stage? Bah, I'm probably making too much of a minor misunderstanding.

I like that Wii Music seems to allow the player to make the song their own. There's no high scores or strict button press timing. Just play the way you want to play. It's a great approach to music-based gaming. Rock Band: Mii Edition this ain't, but it's still going to be one hell of a concert.

Overall, I was fairly impressed with the games showcased today. Sure, they weren't a new Zelda or Mario, but for what they were, it was a good showing. I just hope everything remains as awesome between now and their too-far-away release dates.

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The Duck Has Spoken.

Reviewing Nintendo's pre-E3 2008 press conference

A little over four hours ago, I sat in front of my computer staring at a live stream window, waiting for Nintendo's press conference to begin. I went in expecting little more than Animal Crossing Wii and Wii MotionPlus, and in that regard, I left happy. As for how the conference was on the whole? That's a slightly different story.

From the beginning, the conference wasn't looking too hot. You'd expect this sort of thing to start with a bang, but instead we sit here listening to Cammie Dunaway yapping about a snowboarding trip she went on. Yup. Then it segues into a presentation for Ubisoft's Shawn White Snowboarding. Wait, WHAT? The conference isn't even starting with a Nintendo title? No, apparently Nintendo thought it was a better idea to focus on Ubisoft's iffy-looking snowboarding game instead. I guess they forgot the phrase "Put your best foot forward".

And then Mr. Iwata takes the stage, speaking about how far the company has come since 2003. Oh boy, here come the sales numbers... On a high note, he mentions in passing that both the Mario and Zelda teams are hard at work on the next installment of their respective series. Good! Just what I like to hear. Also, the Wii seems to have moved 10 million units since launch in the US alone. Okay, that's cool. Can we get to the games yet?

Apparently, the time for actual news has arrived at this point. A short video interview with Animal Crossing series creator goes over the goals the franchise has set to achieve. Yadda yadda yadda... Yay, Animal Crossing: City Folk! A lot is said about its various features, which is always a good thing to say during a press conference. Alright, that was good.

And then comes the announcement of Wii Speak, the Wii's answer to online chatting. It's not a headset, but a microphone that sits atop the television and records all audio in the room. Cool little device in my opinion, but this article is about the conference itself, not what was discussed. Moving on.

Reggie finally makes the scene! Hooray! He makes a quick note to say that Animal Crossing Wii will be in our hands this Holiday season, which makes me smile from ear to ear. And then... More sales talk... I literally stopped paying attention around here, just keeping an ear out for some interesting stuff.

And now they start showing a series of trailers for upcoming Wii games. Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels, Call of Duty: World at War and Rayman Raving Rabbids: TV Party. Except for World at War, I'm fairly unimpressed. Would it have hurt so hard to show some MadWorld or Disaster: Day of Crisis?

Oh boy, Cammie's back on stage. Blah blah blah, female gamers growing in numbers... Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades is announced, which is kind of a bad sign. If they're occupying their time with this, that probably means they don't have much more cool things to show. I get ready to become disappointed.

All of a sudden, a random game announcement spills out: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Okay, nobody can say they saw that one coming. Woah, wait... No footage? No screenshots? Not even a developer interview? What the heck? Why'd you even bother mentioning it? With the way that went, I'm not expecting Grand Theft Auto for quite some time yet.

Cooking Navi's seeing a North American release. I actually think that's a neat little program, but not exactly what I wanted to hear about today. Come on, bring on the awesome already!

So Reggie takes the stage again. That's awesome enough for me! Finally we get to see Wii Motion Plus in action thanks to the new and improved Wii Sports: Resort. A neat little presentation, as long as you ignore the parts where Cammie talks. Her and Reggie duking it out in virtual sword-fighting was cool I guess, but I preferred the first round when the Regginator won. What? No game until NEXT YEAR!? Why show it so early?!

Ah, finally the coolness returns. Miyamoto takes to the stage to demonstrate Wii Music, the long-lost entry in the "Wii" game series. Miyamoto plays some sax while his Mii-self twitches around on screen. Presentation could use a little work, but otherwise, neat stuff (Again, I'll talk more about what was presented in another post. This is about the conference itself).

Miyamoto, Dunaway, Fils-Aimes and a professional drummer all jam for a while, playing a terrible rendition of the Super Mario Bros. theme. Don't quit your day jobs, folks.

And, well, that was it. A good amount of games were revealed, and whether or not they revealed the right ones is up to you. Personally, I was excited about Animal Crossing: City Folk, Wii Sports: Resort and Wii Music (And I'm curious to hear more about Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars). The other games were all pretty "meh" to me, but hey, that's just my opinion.

So, this conference was okay in my eyes. A good variety of games were shown, although a couple extra of the more anticipated titles would have been nice. Heck, I'd have settled for a Mario Super Sluggers demonstration. The biggest problem, though, was probably the stage presence. Reggie seemed significantly less awesome than usual, and Cammie was just annoying to me. Next year I'd like to see some more Iwata, as he got very little stage time.

Overall, I'd say this conference gets a 6.9/10. For comparison, I'd say it was better than last year's, but nowhere near as awesome as the infamous 2006 show. So, it was a good conference, but not great. I got my Animal Crossing: City Folk, though, so I'm happy enough. And remember, folks, E3 has just begun. More announcements are bound to appear between now and Thursday. Super Smash Bros. Brawl wasn't revealed until the day after Nintendo's press conference in 2006, so don't lose hope. Also, on the contrary, don't expect too much. It's never a good idea to be too hyped up, as it usually ends in disappointment.

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E3 2008 predictions

So, it's that time of the year again: E3 time! That also means it's time for my significantly less important annual E3 predictions post. Sorted by probability, here are my guesses.

Almost certainly going to happen

Do I even have to say it? Everyone else has been screaming this for weeks now... Animal Crossing Wii is pretty much a sure-thing for this E3. It just has to be there! So many signs are pointing to it that if it didn't happen, I'm almost positive the world would implode from shock. Animal Crossing Wii will be there in some shape or form.

It's pretty much a no-brainer that we'll see some sort of demonstration of the Wii MotionPlus during tomorrow's conference. I can already see Miyamoto standing on stage, flailing around the new device like a madman to demonstrate its capabilities. What game he'll be playing, though, is beyond me. Perhaps a new title we've yet to see? We can only hope!

Somewhat likely

It just seems like showing some more info on Disaster: Day of Crisis is the thing to do right now. We haven't seen a single screenshot all year, and not a clip of footage since E3 2006. It's about time we get a little more eye-candy. Concept art, screenshots, or a small video are likely going so surface at this E3. Not quite a sure thing, but definitely likely.

Also, I believe that there's a good chance we'll see an old franchise make a comeback this week. I'm personally leaning towards the trio of Pikmin, Starfox and Punch-Out specifically. Of course, I doubt we'd see all of them, but I'm somewhat confident one of them will show up. Again, not a sure thing like Animal Crossing, but a distinct possibility.

How about a new Zelda? Not necessarily the true Zelda Wii or anything, but perhaps a new DS game? Or maybe even a WiiWare release of some sort? I'd like to see a revised version of Tetra's Trackers hit the Wii's download service for sure. Will we see a new Zelda? I've got a good feeling about it. Whatever system or service it comes out for, though, don't expect more than a trailer. Just my two cents on the subject.

50/50 chance of happening

I wish I could say that there's a good chance of seeing Pokémon Platinum this week, but really, I'm not at all sure. It definitely could happen, but I have a feeling that they'd release info in Japan rather than in The United States. The Pokémon games have a tendency to detailed more in their home country than anywhere else. Still, Nintendo has never been a predictable company, so who knows. Still, I have a slight feeling we'll see something.

Somewhat unlikely

When people started saying a few months back that they expected a DS redesign come this E3, I thought they were all nuts. Really, the DS Lite is doing just fine! Do we need another model yet? I don't think so. But, for some reason, I just can't shake the feeling that it'll happen. Nintendo does love their money, and sales are starting to slow down in Japan... But still, I'm not entirely sure a new model will be shown off this E3. Maybe at the next major event, but I don't think we'll see it tomorrow.

Ain't gonna happen

If you think we'll see the "Wii 2" tomorrow, think again. It's way to early for this sort of thing, and yet, people still think it's right around the corner. Well, it isn't. Wii MotionPlus pretty much confirms it. No new Wii any time soon, folks.

I suppose that's all I have to predict this year. Really, we're going into this E3 very much in the dark. All we have to go on for predictions are industry mumblings, which have been fairly quiet as of late. Oh well. As long as a lot of cool stuff happens tomorrow, I'll be happy.

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My thoughts on Nintendo's E3 press conference

For those of you who missed it, a recap of the event can be found here. For those up to speed, read on!



Another year, another press conference. Does this one do anything special to stand out? Here's my take on how things went.

Every year, people anticipate new games to be revealed. Well, if your one of those people, you may have been a little disappointed this year with the amount of games unveiled, since in the end, we only found out about two new titles. That's not to say these titles are underwhelming! Oh, no no no no no! Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit are both extremely important titles for the console's continued success! Mario Kart is there for the core gamers, while Wii Fit is there for the casual (As well as some core) gamers.

Some of you most likely thought "Ah, dammit, the big announcement is another freaking casual title? Check please!". But a lot of you are ignoring the most innovative part of Wii Fit: The "balance board" (Pictured below). The weight and position sensing of this amazing new peripheral will be amazing for titles such as SSX and Tony Hawk, as many have already said. Imagine actually leaning for a turn and jumping off your board for special moves! The only two things in the way of this becoming a reality are 1: the fact the balance board is a secondary peripheral NOT included in the box with the Wii, and 2: the high price point the balance board is likely to have. But, who knows? Perhaps some ambitious developer will make an amazing piece of software with the balance board! Then again, it could also be doomed to obscurity like R.O.B or Game Boy/GameCube connectivity. Let's hope for the former, hmm?

The Wii "balance board" (Tentative name)

Something else great announced was the new "Zapper" Wiimote/Nunchuk shell (Pictured below). Adding to the excitement was the announcement that several upcoming third-party games (Such as SEGA's Ghost Squad and Capcom's Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles) will be utilizing this new setup. I was quite surprised by how machine-gun like the shell is. I'm really liking it!

The new Wii Zapper shell

Also using the Zapper shell will be Electronic Art's Medal of Honor (Yet to be formally named). Something else great about MoH is the fact that online gunfights will be in groups of up to 32 players! This is a HUGE piece of news for the Wii, since it was previously rumoured that the console could only be connected to one other Wii at a time. Perhaps the Wii is more online-ready than once thought!

The Mii Popularity Channel was also shown, but this time under the moniker "Check Mii Out!". As announced previously, Check Mii Out! will be a channel on which players can view Miis uploaded by other players, rate them, and even download them if they want to. We'll also be able to upload our own creations, and subject them to judging! Perhaps the coolest thing hinted at about Check Mii Out! was the contests. Apparently, every once in a while, Nintendo will give players guidelines about what Miis to make, like a celebrity or a TV show character. The best Mii wins! However, what exactly is won was never said. Wii Points? New accessories? Or something even grander?

There was also some talk about the DS, but not as much as Wii. About halfway through the show, an editor from the all-things-Zelda website, The Hylia, came on stage to demo The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Watching him play, I realized how smooth and seamless the game was. The graphics were bright and vibrant, and the controls always seemed to react the way the player wanted them to. I'm so excited right now! October 1st can't come soon enough!

Well then, at the end of this conference, I must say I was quite pleased! We finally got a glimpse of Mario Kart Wii, as well as several new peripherals!

I know that some of you are saying "Where the talk about Smash Bros.? What about Animal Crossing", but keep this in mind: E3 just started! There are still two more days left for these announcements to be made! When Super Smash Bros. Brawl was unveiled, it wasn't in a fancy press conference or anything like that! It was revealed behind doors to a select group, days after the conference! The same could be true of Animal Crossing, Star Fox, and all the other games we're anticipating, not to mention further news on Mario Kart, Metroid and Super Mario Galaxy!

This E3 has just begun, and already I'm impressed. Here's to another great two days!

The Duck Has Spoken.

E3 is finally here!

Or at least, it will be, in about, oh, 14 hours. If you wanna get a direct feed of the Nintendo Press Conference, I suggest Gamespot. I used them for last year's show, and I encountered no lag or cut-outs whatsoever.

The conference starts at 9:00 AM Pacific. This timezone converter oughta help you find out when it's starting in your neck of the woods. And no, I'm not Al Roker.

So then, set your alarm clocks and prepare for E3!

The Duck Has Spoken.

Final E3 predictions

Well, E3 is now less than 24 hours away. I say it's time for me to render one last series of predictions as to what we should expect this year. Think of this as a sort of extension to one of last month's articles, "What will E3 bring?" (I think this is where I'm supposed to say "I have NO inside info".)



Extremely likely predictions

Square-Enix will announce some amazing new title

Yes, I know, this is vague. But honestly, vague is as good as anyone's guess when it comes to the intensely secretive Square-Enix! My guess is we'll see an original franchise or something from them exclusively for the Wii or the DS, and perhaps another Final Fantasy remake or two (The ever-popular Final Fantasy VII?). We may also get some solid North American release dates for Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates OR Crystal Bearers or It's a Wonderful World. Whatever it is, it'll be great.

Nintendo will reveal some absolutely ASTONISHING hidden feature of the Wii

Nintendo systems often have one or two unknown functions programmed into them. Some fantastic new feature accessible only through software or something like that. I suspect the Wii is no different. Remember the DS Option Paks, the little GBA-like cartridges inserted into Slot 2? The DS had the firmware for this in it from the start, yet nobody knew of it's existence until Nintendo told them. Just imagine what secrets the Wii could be holding within it's hardware... I can't even begin to guess what!

An old, abandoned Nintendo franchise will make a return

Well, this isn't exactly my prediction, as Matt Casamassina of IGN said this in the last Wii-kly podcast. However, I do have a few predictions as to what will be coming back! Kid Icarus, Pilotwings, Dr. Mario and Earthbound are all begging to make a comeback!

Animal Crossing, Star Fox and Mario Kart will be shown for the Wii

I have the utmost belief that at least two of these will be shown for the Wii this week. Perhaps behind doors, but they will be shown nonetheless. This games are essential for the Wii's continued success, and thusly must be unveiled soon. They will also help pave the way for a bright future for the Wi-Fi Connection on Wii.

New Wii colors will be revealed and dated

Nintendo is infamous for releasing their consoles in many different colors, and I suspect the Wii shall be treated the same. What colors and when they'll be released are beyond me, but I'm nearly POSITIVE they'll announce them.

New and amazing Wii Channels will be revealed

With the SD card slot being so grossly underused, Nintendo has to do something soon to justify it's existence. I'm thinking a Media Channel, where you can watch your favorite clips and listen to your favorite music off of a SD card. Also, maybe we'll hear more about the Mii Popularity Channel, which has since long passed it's original April 2007 release date in Japan. Of course, they'll most likely reveal something so amazing that it's beyond even my vast imagination.

Less likely predictions

The next DS will be shown

The Nintendo DS has been around for almost three years now, so I expect we'll see the next model fairly soon. And I'm not talking a redesign, I mean a true successor, like what the Game Boy Advance was to the Game Boy Color. But, with the DS already selling as well as it is, there's really no reason to announce another so soon.

Nintendo will be announced as a publisher for Sadness

Small-time developer Nibris has been having some trouble finding someone to publish their new game, Sadness. It was rumoured that they already found a company to do so, but later on it was revealed that the deal had fallen through. I think Nintendo is just the right company to publish Sadness. But, I also somehow doubt it at the same time.

Almost certainly not happening

Zelda Wii will be revealed

We all know that Zelda Wii was already in production when Nintendo decided to port Twilight Princess from the GameCube, meaning the game is already somewhat completed. But releasing it so soon after Twilight Princess? I mean, it's been less than a year! No, I don't think this will be happening at all.

So those are my new predictions for E3 2007. Now we must simply wait to see if any come true!

...the wait is killing me!

The Duck Has Spoken.